Dispensing silage



May l1. 1954 w. A. MILLER DISPENSING sILAGE Filed Dec. 2'?. 1951 S-Sheets-Sheet 1 w. A. MILLER 2,678,241

DISPENSING SILAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 11, 1954 Filed Dec. 27, 1951 .5. ni? Il M w 4 ,w, Mw w mm .HJ mm Q L a S mw E E m 1W@ a u .uw mm. NH u O WJ d, w amm w A., k. v u \\\H\|,\\ i.. o m v.\\\wv\ mx ff mb h l NQ B 2 ww N d mm 7 f May 11, 1954 w. A. MILLER DISPENSING SILAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 27. 1951 3 and inwardly to another winch drum 20 which is similar to the winch drum I6. The cable l! is in a plane at right angles to the plane at the cable i9 so that the track 5 is supported at four uniformly spaced points. It will be seen that by winding the cables I9 and Il on the drums i6 and 20, the frame comprising the parts 5, 5 and 1 may be moved upwardly in the silo and that by paying out cable from the said drums, the

said circular structure may be lowered within 1 the silo. By controlling the paying out of cable from the drums I6 and 29, the descent of the circular frame structure and the sila-ge dispensing mechanism carried thereby can be very effectively regulated to cause the dispensing mechanism to follow the level of silage downwardly at a rate of descent which is common to both so that a substantially constant working relationship may thereby be easily maintained between the dispensing mechanism and the top of the silage.

An electric motor 2l is disposed substantially coaxially of the annular track 5 and is supported in that position by means of a plurality of struts or bracket arms 22 which are suitably bolted or otherwise fastened to the central frame structure 1 in upwardly extending positions as shown, the upper end portions of said brackets being suitably secured to the motor 2l so as to support the same. As indicated, the motor is arranged with its shaft in an axially vertical position and, the motor should accordingly be of a type which provides adequate support for the shaft 23 of the motor.

The brackets 22 also extend downwardly from the central frame portion 1 and have their lower end portions 22a secured to the casing or housing 24 of a turbine type fan or centrifugal blower which includes a. rotor 25 carried by a shaft 26.

This blower shaft 26 is suitably journalled in a bearing provided in the blower housing in the circular form with the interior angle of the member facing outwardly to form a ball race. It will be seen that the supporting brackets 22, beingfastened to the stationary central frame part 1, serve to support the motor, the blower and said ball race 21 in fixed relation to each other.

An outer ball race 29 also formed of angle iron and complementary to the inner race 21 is associated with said inner race to cooperate therewith to house anti-friction ball bearings 29 so that said outer race is quite freely rotatable relative to the normally fixed inner race. The end portions of the angle member from which the outer race 28 is formed are provided with. suitable clamping brackets 29, 29 which are respectively secured to said end portions. Suitable bolts extend through legs of the brackets 29, 23 to clamp the ends of said member tightly in abutting relation so as to maintain the outer race in closed condition about the inner race and the ball bearings. Adjustment of the fit of the outer race about the bearing balls is easily accomplished by providing shims between the ends of the member or by dressing down said ends to reduce the diameter if required. Thev balls are inserted before closing the outer race completely and become effectively caged as soon as the outer race is closed in the manner indicated.

'The outer race of the ball bearing structure supports a cutting conveyor 39 so that the conveyor is rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane about the axis of the motor shaft 23 and the ball bearing structure just described, said. axis approximately coinciding with the axis of the silo. For connecting the cutting conveyor 39 to said outer bearing race 28, a partial ring bracket 3l is suspended from said outer bearing race by means of a plurality of hangers 32 which have their upper ends welded or otherwise suitably secured to said outer race and their lower ends welded, bolted or otherwise suitably secured to said bracket 3l. As best shown in Figure 4, this bracket 3l terminates in journal bearings 33, 33 in which a shaft 34 is journalled, said shaft 34 having journalled thereon, conveyor side frame rods 35, 35.

The conveyor sides 35 have free ends interconnected by means of a cross member 36 and said sides are preferably of tubular form and telescopically receive members 31, 31, the outer ends of which are provided with suitable journal bearings 31a, 31u, which rotatably support a shaft 38. The shaft 38 and the aforesaid shaft 3S each have secured on them a pair o-f sprockets which receive conveyor chains 39, 39. The side frame connecting member 36 extends across the conveyor between the upper and lower reaches of said chains. Said conveyor side frame extenders 31, 31 are also advantageously interconnected in the required spaced relationship by cross members such as indicated at 4D and 4I which in this instance bridge over the conveyor chains. These connecting members 35, i0 and 4i may of course be anchored in xed position on the respective side members by bolting, set screws or in any other selected manner and the side frame extensions 31, 31 may be locked in selected position of adjustment relative to the main side frames 35, 35 by appropriately positioned set screws 43 or otherwise as may be preferred.

The conveyor chains 39, 39 are interconnected at suitable intervals along their lengths by cross members such as indicated at 43 which carry cutting knives 44 at their ends and A5 intermediate their ends. These cutting knives may be detachably secured to the cross members to facilitate removal for sharpening or replacement purposes but they are preferably welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the cross members 43 and the cross members secured to links of the chains 39 which may be removed from the chain so as to facilitate sharpening and replacement when necessary. The chain links are preferably of a known type which can be quite easily separated from each otherwhen the chain is made loose, for example, by permitting the conveyor extension members 31, 31 to telescope into the main frame members 35, 35. The cutting blades 44 and 45 have sharpened forward and outer edges so that as the conveyor members 153 progress across the top of the silage, said cutters will be operative to cut the silage, the leading edges of the cross members or drag links Il?. being then operative to loosen and push the cut material in the direction of travel of the conveyor chains which is such that the lower reaches of the conveyor chains and hence the drag links and cutters on the lower side of the conveyor 'structurewmove toward` the center-fof the-silo. VHermaf1thefsilagercut and loosened by the operationfof the conveyor structure will -be .fed' into the center of the silo fromA whenceit will be discharged as'willpresently be explained.

Fordr-iving the conveyor chains, the shafts Aof the conveyor is provided with a sprocket 46 whichis engagedby a driving chain. which alsoengages -a' driving sprocket -48 en across kshaft 49. The cross shaft 49is journalledin a bearingg von a bracket secured to the ring bracket 3| andin a bearing-providedin aportion ofthe vhousing of agear reduction unit 5| which s-in-part supported by asupporting bracket -52 lcar-r-iedby certain of said-hangersZ. Said. gear reduction unit 5| houses a worm wheel whichis secured to one end of theshaftd and a worm -gear'which is secured to a downward extension of the blower shaft 26 about which the'gear reduction housing may rotate horizontally. A suitable thrust bearinginot-shown) interposed between a portion of the shaft -2-6 and a portionof the -gear reduction .housing 5! von the inside thereof serves to cooperate with the` bracket 52 to support said gear reduction unit at the desired elevation.

It will be seen that as an incident torotation of the motor 23 and the lower shaft 26, the Ycross shaft. 49 will be rotated through 4the agency of vsaid gear reduction unit and that from 'said shaft 49 the conveyor chains'will be driven through the agency of the sprocket 48, the` drive chain-41 and the sprocket 4G. It will also be observed that since the conveyor structure including the driving connections jus-t described are rigidly connected to the outer race of the anti-friction bearing structure, said conveyor may rotatehorizontally about the axisn of said blower shaft 26 while the chains also continue their longitudinal travel approximately radially of the silo,

For driving theconveyor structure laterally, thatis to say, horizontally about the Vaxis ofthe blower shaft, there is provided a star wheel 53 ykeyed to-a shaft54 for rotation therewithgsaid shaft being journalled at one end in a bearing 55 provided on an extension of the Vcross arm 36, and at its other end in thev housing'ofa gear drive/unit 56. A worm wheel which constitutes partof the drive unit .56 is secured toagporticn of .said shaft 54 Within said housing-fand said worm wheelis driven by a worm gear within said housing. Said worm gear is carried by an extension portion 38a of the outer conveyor sprocket .shaft'to which the conveyor sprockets arepinned or keyed so that said shaft 33 is driven incident to the driving of the conveyor chains as'already explained. Through the agency of the gear ldrive, unit 56, power is transmitted from the shaft38 to the shaft 54 and vstar wheel 53 which is of'suchdiameter that its spikes will enter'the silage to thereby obtain traction so that rotation of the star wheel will cause the conveyor to travel horizontally in a circular direction.

The feeding wheel 53 which is keyed or splined on the shaft 54 may be locked in any selected position along the length of the shaft by any suitable means such as set screw 'thre'aded through the hub of the star wheel'for locking engagement with'the shaft 54. The speed of horizontal rotation of the conveyor 30 may be regulated by adjusting the feed wheel 53 along the shaft 54.

For very-slow traVeL'the star wheel 53 is set in a position-'near Vthe vouter vor free 4end ofthe conveyor structure and to increase. the speed of travel, saidstar wheel is moved inwardly tov any selectedmositionlnearer tothe vcenter ofgthe silo.

The outer end of the rotating conveyor .is :guided andkept in'- predetermined spaced relation to the wall'of the silo by means of a guide Wheel 55 which is preferably a rubber tired wheel. Said guide wheel 59 is rotatably supported in the forked end of a mounting member 6B whichis horizont-ally slidablymounted in a suitable socket di secured through `the agency of the cross member 4I to the conveyor side frame members. A compression spring 62 isY interposed between the bottom of the socket `6| and a shoulder or collar provided on the mounting rod rv6U to .resiliently urge the wheel 59 to a predetermined .position while at the same time permitting a limited amount ofyielding to compensate for olf-center drifting of the structurev and irregularities which may occur on the inside of the silo, as for example bythe adherence-of feed material Vto the wall of the silo. The conveyor is further guided by means of a centering spur 53 which may be formed from an extension of the shaft 26. The guide wheel 59 cooperates with the centering spur 53 to resist displacement of the structure incident to reaction forces incident to the resistance of the silage to movement of the cutters and drag links through the silage.

Said extension of the shaft 26 is equippedfwith a cutting and elevating auger S4 which is partially housed in anv intake boot which is carried by the rotating ring bracket 3| as shown in 3 and fl.

When the conveyor is operated, the cutters 44 and 45 move substantially radially inwardly incident to the longitudinal travel of the conveyor chainsA and they also travel circularly about the axis of the mechanism as an incident to the horizontal rotary movement of the conveyor structure. Hencasaid cutting members and the drag plates 43 have an arcuate, more or less spiral path of travel from near the wall of the silo to the center thereof. As a result of this travel, the cutters and drag bars operate to cut the silage and to separate the out material from the remaining uncut stock and to drag' the out and separated kmaterial toward the center of the mechanism where the cutting and lifting auger 554 will feed the loose material upwardly into said intake boot 35 which is provided with a side opening in line with the 4conveyor so as to facilitate delivery of the feed material into said boot.

The blower 2t operates to produce a strong ai-r ycurrent flowing upwardly through said intake boot 65 to thereby pneumatically aid the auger 64 to lift the loose silage which is then pneumatically ejected from the blower into a discharge spout Se 'which is hinged as indicated' at. 6i to the-outlet port 68 of the blower. The hinge connection of the spout to the blower permits said spout to `assume an angular position which varies incident to kvertical adjustment of th'emechanism inthe silo.. The outer end portion ofv said discharge spout 'de is preferably provided withxan end extension portion S9 which is telescopica-Hy mounted in the main spout 65 so as to permit lad justment Ici' the effective length of thespout as may be required. The outer end portion of? the spout structure rests Aon Vthe top edge of the uppermost gate '3 which remains fixed whileY the dispensing mechanism moves downwardly. The hinge iii permits such downward movement of ther dispensing mechanism while the cuter end ci the spout is Vheld at al substantially flxedelevation, From time to'tme, as the descent of the -dispensing mechanism progresses, the gate sections 3 are removed so that the level of the top edge of the uppermost gate will be maintained at an elevation suitable to the operating position of the dispensing mechanism.

To maintain a suitably closed condition between the spout d5 and the outlet port 68 of the blower, a gate structure "le is pivoted as indicated at 'H to the outlet port. Said gate structure consists of a U-shaped element which will span the space between the outlet port E8 and the adjacent end of the spout (55 when the latter is disposed at an angle as represented in Figure 5.

To hold the supporting frame structure comprising the track il and the cross members 6, from rotating, there is provided a stabilizer bar 'l2 which is pivoted at its inner end on a portion of the inner rectangular frame structure 'i as indicated at 73. Said bar i2 is a telescopic, extendible bar having a longitudinally adjustable outer section 'M which is adapted to project into the delivery chute 5.2 of the silo and to engage against the adjacent wall 'thereof so as to prevent rotation of said frame and track structure. A. check rest bar T5 is suitably mounted on the track 5 in underlying relation to the positions of the stabilizer bar 'i2 and feed chute 6% to prevent the latter from so closely approaching the track 5 as to interfere with movement of a hanger structure along said track past said stabilizer and discharge chute.

The hanger structure just referred to comprises a link or strap 'le which has its lower end connected to the outer end portion of the conveyor I structure 3E through the agency of the beforementioned crossl member 1li). The upper end portion of said hanger I6 is provided with a flanged wheel 'Il which is adapted to ride on the top of the circular track E, and with a lower wheel 'i3 which is operative to engage the bottom edge of l the track to prevent the flanged wheel from leaving said track. It will be seen that the conveyor is supported at its inner end from the main frame structure through the agency of its pivot shaft connection 3d and near its outer end from said frame structure by the hanger connection just described. Hence, the conveyor i5 not permitted to rock vertically but instead is held in predetermined, xed relation to the frame structure. The conveyor is preferably disposed in a. horizontal plane as illustrated so as to produce a at top surface on the sila-ge, but it may be tilted so as to produce either a conical surface or a concave surface on top of the silage, incident to the rotary movement of the conveyor.

The winch drums l5 and 20 which control the descent of the mechanism in the silo, are driven at a predetermined rate of rotation to eifect lowering of the mechanism at a rate which is initially calculated to maintain the cutters and drag plates on the lower reach of the conveyor structure in the desired operative relationship to. the top surface of the silage and to prevent such embedment of the cutters as would tend to stall the mechanism.

The winch drums I and 28 are geared together by miter gears E9 for simultaneous rotation at like speeds. The rotation imparted tol the drums i6 and 2Q could be a continuous slow rotation which would cause constant gradual lowering of the rotation structure. However, in view of the relatively small increments.` of downward movement which are required this downward movement may be effected in steps occurring once for each turn of the conveyor structure about its vertical axis of rotation. To that end, there is associated with the drum I8 a vertically disposed shaft 8U which is journalled in one or more bearings such as indicated at 8| connected to the supporting frame structure. The upper end of said shaft 80 is connected through a worm and worm wheel gear reduction unit 82 to the shaft of said winch drum I6 so that rotation imparted to the shaft 8i! is also imparted to the drums It and 28. At its lower end, the shaft 8D has secured to it a star wheel 83, the prongs or teeth of which successively engage a roller or tooth 84 which depends from an arm which projects horizontally from the outer ball race 28. Each time that a prong of the star wheel 83 engages said roller 84 the star wheel will be caused to rotate a portion of one revolution, thereby imparting similar rotary movement to the shaft 88 and to the drums I6 and 20. Hence, it will be seen that the conveyor structure will be lowered a predetermined increment once each time that it makes a cornplete circuit over the surface of the silage so that a substantially level top is maintained on the silage. Since the worm and worm gear unit 82 can be driven only from the shaftl 8d, said unit 82 serves also to lock the drums I6 and 2i] against cable dispensing rotation incident to the suspended weight of the mechanism.

When the dispensing mechanism reaches the bottom of the silo and is to be returned to the top thereof to permit relling of the silo, the winch drums i5 and 2l) may be power-driven in the proper direction to take up the cables lil and l l so as to thereby raise the dispensing mechanism. For that purpose, the shaft 80 is provided with a grooved pulley 8B and the blower shaft is provided with a similar but smaller grooved pulley 81. A suitable belt may be placed about these pulleys when the mechanism is to be elevated so that when the motor 2l is energized power will be transmitted from the blower shaft to the shaft 80 and thence to the drums I6 and 2G to effect the desired raising of the mechanism. Operation of the motor may conveniently'be controlled by appropriate switch mechanism located at any conveniently accessible location.

A suitable flexible electric cable 88 extends from the motor ZI upwardly and around a guide pulley 89 which is mounted on one of the top cross members. Said cable then extends downwardly from the guide pulley 89 and under a weighted floating pulley 98 and thence upwardly to a fixed point from which leads may extend to switch mechanism located near the base of the silo or wherever desired. The weighted floating. pulley 9@ serves to take up slack in the cable so as to maintain said cable clear of the dispensing mechanism. The loop portion of the cable formed by said floating pulley 9D may be located within the silo or the feed chute 2 of the silo, or it may be arranged to be entirely outside of the silo if preferred.

If desired, the structure may be somewhat strengthened by providing truss rods or tension bars 3l connected at their inner ends to the stationary inner bearing race 21 and at their outer ends to the frame members f5 at points adjacent the track 5. Such truss members il! will serve to prevent sagging of the central portion of the mechanism relative to the track portion.

Various modifications of the described structure may be made while retaining the principles thereof as indicated in the foregoing explanation.

I claim:

1. Mechanism adapted to be disposed within a silo for dispensing silage from such silo, comprising a main frame structure having a substantially rigid central structure and an outer, substantially circular track, means for vertically adjustably suspending said frame structure from an upper portion of a silo to thereby support said Iframe structure in predetermined upwardly spaced relation to the surface of silage stored in the silo, a conveyor adapted to be approximately radially disposed within the silo and having an inner end mounted n said central frame structure for horizontal rotation relative to the latter, means suspending the outer portion of said conveyor from said circular track for horizontal .rotation relative to said main frame structure means for effecting horizontal rotation of said conveyor, silage cutting and propelling vmeans carried by said conveyor and movable :ap-- proximately radially inwardly to cut and drag silage over the top surface of the stored silage to the center of the silo, an axially vertically disposed centrifugal blower mounted on said central frame structure and having an axially downwardly extending intake boot disposed adjacent to the inner end of said conveyor so as to be operative to pneumatically pick up and withdraw silage -moved to the center of the silo as aforesaid, an auger disposed approximately centrally of said intake boot adjacent the silage receiving end thereof for lifting the silage into said boot, an electric motor mounted on said frame structure and drivingly connected to said blower, auger and conveyor for operating the same, and means effecting adjustment of said suspending means to lower said frame structure and the parts carried thereby into operative relationship to the surface of the stored silage.

2. Silage dispensing apparatus adapted to be mounted within a silo for cutting the silage and discharging the same from the silo, comprising a frame, means for vertically adjustably and -non-rotatably supporting said frame within said silo, an axially vertical blower xedly mounted on a central portion of said frame and adapted to be disposed approximately centrally of the silo, an electric motor mounted on said frame and connected to said blower for driving the same, said blower having a downwardly facing -intake and an impeller shaft extended down- 'wardly so as to lproject beyond said intake for entering the silage in advance of said intake to anchor the apparatus approximately centrally of the silo, a cutting and lifting auger carried by said impeller shaft extension for elevating silage toward said intake, a conveyor mounted on said frame for horizontal rotary movement relative thereto about the axis of said impeller shaft, said conveyor having an inner end portion disposed adjacent to said auger and an outer end portion adapted to be disposed adjacent the wall of the silo, means connecting said conveyor to said blower shaft for actuating the conveyor as an incident to operation of said blower, means carried by said conveyor for cutting silage and moving the same toward said auger, means for effecting horizontal rotary movement of said conveyor, and means for adjusting said frame suspending means to regulate the vertical disposition of the apparatus so as to maintain said conveyor in predetermined operative relation to the surface of silage in the silo.

3. Silage dispensing apparatus adapted to be mounted within a silo for. cutting the silage and discharging the same from the silo, comprising a frame, means for vertically adjustably and non-rotatably supporting said frame within said silo, an axially vertical blower fixedly mounted on a central portion of said frame and adapted to be disposed approximately centrally of the silo, :an electric motor mounted on said frame and connected to said blower for driving the same, said blower having a downwardly facing intake and :an impeller shaft extended vdownwardly so as to project beyond said intake for entering the silage in advance of said intake to anchor the apparatus approximately centrally of the silo, a cutting and lifting auger carried by said impeller shaft extension for elevating silage toward said intake, a conveyor mounted on said frame for horizontal rotary movement relative thereto about the axis of said impeller shaft, said conveyor having an inner end portion disposed adjacent to lsaid auger and an outer end portion adapted to be disposed adjacent the wall of the silo, means connecting said conveyor to said blower shaft for actuating the conveyor as an incident to operation of said blower, means carried by said conveyor for Icutting silage and moving the same toward said auger, means driven by said conveyor for effecting horizontal rotary movement thereof, and means for adjusting said frame suspending means to regulate the vertical disposition of the apparatus so as to maintain said conveyor in predetermined operative relation to the surface of silage in the silo.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 892,593 Keller July 7, 1908 1,479,990 Keys Jan. 8, 1924 2,580,306 Leach et al Dec. 25, 1951 2,587,714' Embree et al Mar. 4, 1952 2,595,333 Clapp May 6, 1952 

